Maia and the Meteor
by Achiyo
Summary: Mariemaia and her life with Dekim and Trowa Barton during the construction of Gundam Heavyarms. Shows the beginning of the power hungry and delusional girl in Endless Waltz.


Maia and the Meteor 

Maia and the Meteor 

By Achiyo

achiyo_nitta@yahoo.ca

Disclaimer:I do not Gundam Wing or any of its associated 

characters.

Notes: More at the bottom.A very big thank you to Divine 

Selenity who beta-read this and did an awesome job w/ it.

Time frame:A.C. 195 Pre-operation Meteor

Trowa Barton carried his niece on one hip as he talked

to the old doctor currently inhabiting one of the Barton hangars 

on the colony."You'd better not have second thoughts old man,"

He said, an ominous note in his voice.Trowa did not want to 

take any sort of chance in this project.His father invested too

much time, too much effort and above all too much money for 

anything to go wrong.

"My thoughts are entirely my own, young Barton," the Doctor 

replied, not noting Trowa's tone. The Doctor glanced at Mariemaia. 

"We'll talk again later."

Trowa turned and left.Mariemaia buried her face into 

his shoulder,absently sucking on her thumb.She was old enough 

not too of course, but this was one of her baby habits, something

she never stopped doing.Clinging to her uncle whenever he was

near, was another.He shielded her from the world.

Once they were outside Trowa's demeanor changed completely.

Gone was the cold-hearted, ambitious, young man who cared only for 

himself and his fortunes.In its place came the loving uncle whom 

Mariemaia knew so well.She didn't understand why he would always 

become a totally different person when he went to see that strange 

doctor - or whenever he was with her grandfather.

"Maia, don't suck on your thumb.You'll get crooked teeth," 

he said.Gently he withdrew her thumb from her mouth. "You won't be 

pretty with crooked teeth."

Mariemaia made a face at him and stuck her thumb back 

into her mouth with a smile.

Trowa smiled back. "You'll look like Dekim if you keep 

doing that."

At that Mariemaia broke out in giggles, imagining her grumpy 

old grandfather with his crooked teeth and squinty eyes.She never 

wondered why Trowa never called his father anything but Dekim, 

as if he was his equal.

Trowa put her down and took her hand, starting to walk towards 

the Barton Mansion. 

"Uncle Trowa, that old man scared me," she said, tugging on 

his hand urgently. "I don't want to see him again."

"I'm sorry Maia.I didn't want to take you there, but it was 

very important.I won't ever make you go near that old man again, 

I promise."

Mariemaia squeezed his hand and when she felt him squeeze 

back, she felt sure everything was fine.She knew that Trowa would 

never leave her.He would always be there for her to protect her -

like the times he was there for her mother.Mariemaia couldn't quite 

picture Leia Barton.However, she remember bright hair and laughter 

especially when Trowa was around.And deep gray eyes like smoldering 

ashes buried within a thousand feet were a million untold secrets.

Yes, Mariemaia definitely knew that her Uncle Trowa would always be 

there for her.

****************

That night, after putting Mariemaia to bed and having told 

her every fairy tale he could remember Leia telling him, Trowa yawned 

and made his way to his father's private study.He entered and 

sat down on a leather arm-chair and propped his feet above the fine 

coffee table.

Dekim frowned deeply at his son's imprudence.The boy was 

wild, having no respect for authority. Alas Dekim needed an heir 

and the boy was it."How is the operation coming along?" he asked, 

after a long silence and several puffs on his pipe.

"Its fine. Nearly completed.You'll have to get rid of all of 

them after I leave.The old man seems to have second thoughts about 

this.The rest of the hired help are all his people - most of them 

anyway.Its hard to know he is always firing some and getting more.

I get more employees resumes and such on my desk than I have room for,"

he lazily replied.

"I see." Dekim took another puff on the pipe. "And the girl?"

"What about her?" Trowa's voice was measured.

Dekim smiled in the shadows.//My son's weakness, a little 

child - his sister's bastard daughter.At least that's what everyone 

else thought.Trowa far too attached Leia in the first place.// 

"What will you tell her?"

"That I am leaving, and I will return." Trowa's voice regained 

its cool, arrogant quality as with the doctor.

"Will you return?" Dekim mockingly asked."She'll be hurt if

you don't."

Trowa glared at his father. //How he hated the old man!// 

"Mariemaia is strong, just like Leia, she will handle it.As for me 

Dekim, don't worry that I will get myself killed on Earth because I 

won't. And I will return."

They sat in silence, each wrestling with their own thoughts 

and problems. Neither bothered to look towards the slightly cracked 

doorway, and neither saw the red haired girl who only morning 

considered herself protected.Her world came crashing down.Trowa 

Barton was leaving her alone.

******** ********

A few days later, while Mariemaia was playing by herself in 

her room, a nurse sat by the door to keep an eye on her.Trowa 

entered and dismissed the woman who looked all to glad to leave.

"Maia, I have to go out.Dekim said he will stay with you," 

He said.

"But, I don't want to stay with him.He scares me." She pouted 

and held up her arms for him to pick her up. "Can I come with you?

I won't get in the way."

Trowa sighed and picked her up. "I can't win against you 

Maia.You have to be quiet okay?"

She nodded and he picked her up.They left heading to the 

hangar bay a few days ago.Mariemaia could feel something 

would happen today. She could only hope that it wasn't bad.And 

she could only pray that Trowa wouldn't be leaving soon.

"Ah, Mr. Barton, I suppose you'll want to see the progress 

on the suit won't you?" the old doctor said as they entered the bay.

Mariemaia hid her face from the old man.

She heard his voice soften. "You've brought your niece again."

"Yes," Trowa replied.

Mariemaia shivered as if she could feel a coat of ice creep 

over Trowa as he adressed the man.The last time both men had spoken 

the same had happened.She blinked starlted. The only time his 

demeanor wasn't cold waswhenever he addressed her and dimly she 

remembered, her mother.

"Doctor, the gattling gun is too heavy, we'll have to 

compensate," a young man said, appearing at the doctor's side holding 

out a report.

"Very well," the doctor glanced at the report.

The young man nodded, Mariemaia searched in vain for his other

eye, but to no avail.She could not find it beneath his long bangs.

She stopped staring at him, once she met his visible green eye.It 

was so cold and empty, like Trowa's.She buried her face in her 

uncle's chest.

"I don't believe it would be a good idea for Miss Barton to 

go with us," the doctor said kindly. "Nanashi will accompany her 

back to the mansion."

Trowa glared at him for a moment and decided he was right. 

Trowa put Mariemaia down and smiled. "Don't worry Maia, I'll be 

back later."

Mariemaia walked behind this Nanashi - No-name. "I'm Mariemaia,"

she said shyly.

Nanashi glanced at her. "I don't have a name."

"That's too bad."She paused, twisting back to look at the 

foreboding hangar bay. "What are they doing in there?Do you know?"

Nanashi looked back too. "They are building a mobile suit,

for a war."

"But wars are bad.People get hurt in wars.Dekim says 

my mother was killed in a war." She hung her head, strands of red 

hair falling into her face. "Who would they fight against?"

"Who ever is willing to fight.Earth, I guess."He started 

to walk again. "I hear you will be important after the fighting."

Mariemaia didn't understand. "Will my Uncle Trowa fight also?

He won't be hurt will he?Because he's the only family I have left."

"Then pray you won't lose him."He left her at the doorstep 

of the mansion.Watching him uncertainly, Mariemaia felt a dreaded 

lump in the bottom of her stomach.A war was very bad.

****************

She never went back to see the doctor, nor did her uncle, 

to the best of her knowledge.He took her places; - the movies, 

the circus, the park on picnics and bought her ice creams.But 

something was missing from his demeanor, Trowa was tense and his 

smiles didn't reach his eyes.

//The war,//she thought,//maybe he is scared about the war.//

****************

"Maia, I have to go soon,"He said one day as they walked 

through a park shaded from the artificial sunlight of the colony. 

"Its only going to be for a little while.After I have completed 

my mission then you can come to visit me on Earth."

"But why can't you stay here?Why do you have to go to 

Earth?"

"Because of Operation Meteor.A long time ago the earth 

did a very bad thing and now, we of the colonies are going to 

teach them a lesson," he said, gripping her hand tighter than before.

"Yes Uncle Trowa," Mariemaia said. She wondered if he was 

scared. She wondered if he would come back. Her mother didn't come 

back from a war, but he said he would.She hoped so.

"You have to be strong Mariemaia.Don't doubt yourself 

because you in the right, therefore you deserve to be the victor,"

he said smiling at her.

Mariemaia was confused. He never called her Mariemaia before. 

She nodded. "I understand." Even though she didn't.

****************

A mobile suit pod launched from the colony during the night 

cycle. It created a momentary display of fireworks as it blasted 

its way through the closed doors.

Mariemaia woke up screaming.She rushed out into the dim 

hallway. Dekim was at the end, on the telephone.She walked up 

to him slowly, he was angry.

"-Trowa? I understand."He hung up and saw her.

"When is Uncle Trowa coming back Dekim?" she asked.If

Trowa could call Dekim that then so could she.

"He'll never come back.He is dead, assasinated by that 

damned doctor," Dekim Barton held out a hand to her. "Your destiny 

awaits Miss Mariemaia."

She took his hand uncertainly.She was often uncertain.

But, suddenly,she realized it.Trowa was dead, just like her mother -

dead in a war - and she was left all alone. She would be strong, and 

she would be the victor because if for notheing else, then for him.

She wiped away the gathering tears viciously. "Yes Dekim, my destiny."

****************

The boy who called himself Nanashi floated with his space 

pod.The computer blinked. "Entering atmosphere in 20minutes." 

He floated to the dark form of Gundam Heavyarms and opened the 

hatch.After pulling himself in, he turned on the controls, and one 

by one screens lit up.As he adjusted his helmet, he noticed from the 

corner of his eye, a picture.He picked it up.It was of the little

girl, Mariemaia, and her mother.The same one Trowa Barton had

shown him when he first came.Barton must have dropped it when he 

had inspected the gundam.

The girl said Trowa Barton was the only family she had. 

Now he was gone too.He felt sympathy for the girl. She was so young 

and already she felt the sorrow of war.He would bring peace for the 

colonies, or he would die in his effort.

Operation Meteor had begun.

Author's Notes:Well what do you think?This was originally 

written before I had seen Endless waltz so the everyone might be

out of character.I finished it after watching EW 8 times in a

week.I was always curious about how the real Trowa Barton and 

Mariemaia related to each other, so this story is the product of 

that.Comments, criticism, suggestions, etc. are welcome.

You can contact me at:achiyo_nitta@yahoo.ca 


End file.
